


ghost and the machine

by captain_fives



Series: the death and subsequent life of arc trooper fives [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anxiety, BAMF CC-2224 | Cody, Brotherhood, CT-21-0408 | CT-1409 | Echo & CT-27-5555 | ARC-5555 | Fives are Twins, CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC-5555 Lives, CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC-5555 Needs a Hug, Clones Are Naturally Affectionate, Cody is a good big brother, Fake Character Death, Fix-It, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Mando'a, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Siblings, Reunions, Sibling Bonding, Spoilers for S6-7 of TCW, because Nala Se is the worst, clone culture, depersonalisation, diverges at s6e4 Orders, if you think it is then go away, no clonecest, selective mutism, touch-starvation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:07:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23942830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captain_fives/pseuds/captain_fives
Summary: Cody is a Marshal Commander; he keeps his ear to the ground, and an eye on his troops, and picks up when something isn't right. He's off the radar the night ARC Trooper Fives is chased down in the Coruscant underlevels by the Guard, and returns to his post the next morning with no one any the wiser.Months later, when Rex picks up Echo's trail on Anaxes, Cody calls in a special unit to help. They call themselves the Bad Batch - Hunter, Wrecker, Tech, Crosshair...... and Ghost.
Relationships: CC-2224 | Cody & CT-7567 | Rex, CT-21-0408 | Echo & CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC-5555, CT-21-0408 | Echo & CT-7567 | Rex, CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC-5555 & CC-2224 | Cody, CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC-5555 & CT-7567 | Rex, CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC-5555 & Clone Force 99 | Bad Batch, Clone Force 99 | Bad Batch & CT-21-0408 | Echo
Series: the death and subsequent life of arc trooper fives [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1809670
Comments: 186
Kudos: 436





	1. the plan

**Author's Note:**

> ... my sideblog followers are enablers and I have very little self-control. That is all.
> 
> Oh, and enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cody knows more than anyone ever thinks he does, and this may just be the key to saving ARC Trooper Fives.

_People often assume, thanks to the valiant efforts of troopers like those in the 501st, that clones are terrible liars. This is only partially true. A direct question from a superior is very difficult to redirect for all but the ballsiest troopers, every clone knows this._

_However._

_Marshal Commander Cody knows very well that the easiest way to lie to someone is for them to never ask you the question in the first place._

_This isn't the first time he's pulled something like this off; he'd got Dogma out from under the nose of the Guard (one of Cody's finest sources of information now - he's_ damn _proud of the kid,) covered for Rex during that mess on that one forest planet he can never pronounce properly, and is privy to the knowledge of several secret marriages (honestly, Skywalker and Amidala need some lessons on how to really keep things hush-hush. Not that Skywalker would ever ask.) The reason no one suspects him is because why would they? He's a by-the-book commander 94% of the time, always diligent and respectful._

 _They forget that he also bleeds Mando blood. Cody would die for his_ vode; _it's no stretch to bend truth itself for them instead. He has his sources, his channels, his ways of finding things out._

 _When ARC Trooper Fives - one of Rex's, so one of Cody's,_ kih'vod _o_ _f his_ kih'vod _\- is labelled a fugitive, he knows. He's already on Coruscant, thank whatever gods, and has already received strange news from his source on Kamino. Something isn't right, and he has a plan to keep everyone safe._

_He'll need some expert help, of course, but they're already here.  
_

* * *

'I think Echo's alive.'

The words reverberate in the space between them as his brother startles just the slightest, and Rex tries to breathe. He hasn't said it out loud before, and even he can admit it sounds far-fetched now that it's out there. But his gut is screaming at him that it's right, and he's learned to listen to it by now.

He wants it to be true. He's lost so many _vod'e_ already, some of them close, and he's tired.

_Fives, Echo, Hevy, Denal, Hardcase, Oz, Ringo, Tup, Vere, Ince, Waxer, Keeli -_

His brother's voice jolts him out of his mental recital. 'You have to admit, what you're saying is a long shot at best - and most likely misplaced hope.'

He knows Cody's right, but it still hurts to hear him say it. After Fives... well. Maybe Rex hasn't been in the best place the past year. His mind so often spirals through everything he saw that night; his little brother chased down like some feral stray in the belly of Coruscant by Fox and the Guard - by _vode_ \- with nothing but useless shiny armour and one of Rex's deecees, for all the good it had done him. He'd fallen - despite Rex and Skywalker's pleas to step away and the Guard's efforts to get to him - after taking a shot to the shoulder. Out of nowhere, unseen by trooper or civilian. 

They never found the sniper, and the only evidence of Fives' death were a few shattered pieces of gory plastoid. Kix had concluded later, turning a little green, that a large speeder or hovertrain must have hit him on the way down.

Rex hopes he at least died quickly. His brave _kih'vod_ had already suffered so much.

He shakes off those thoughts before they spiral again, and refocuses on his brother. 'So what squad are we taking in?'  
'Clone Force 99,' Cody replies, and smiles one of his secretive smiles (really, he can be such a pain - though he calls it "big brother privilege," the _sheb)_ while Rex sits there bewildered. 

'Who?'

* * *

_The Guard are mobilising. Cody needs to move fast._

_He's been tailing Fives for ten minutes, waiting for an opportunity and keeping an eye out for the glint of armour. His mind is working overtime while he walks, formulating possibilities, and he thinks he has something - if he can get hold of his brother fast enough._

_There._

_Fives turns down an alleyway, narrow and mostly out of sight. Cody rounds the corner and makes his move, clamping a hand over the ARC's mouth and dragging him into the shadows, dodging the elbow to the solar plexus._ 'Udesii, vod'ika _, it's me,' he says, and Fives' frantic struggling slows, ceases. He turns his head to try and catch a glimpse of his captor and freezes when he notices the scar._

_'Commander?' The sound is muffled against his glove, but Cody can hear the desperation in his voice, the hint of hope. 'Wh-what are you -'_   
_'Easy, trooper. I'm here as a friend, not an officer. What's -'_

_He frowns, catches the other's chin in his hand and turns him around to look him in the face. Fives' eyes are jittering, the pupils blown wide, and something under Cody's ribs coils_ wrong, wrong, wrong _. 'Someone drug you, Fives?'_  
 _'Nala Se...' is the choked reply, and he cuts off the string of curses that pour from his brain into his throat as his secondary comm buzzes._  
' _Alor_ , the Guard are sweeping your area, you've got to move.'  
 _'Alright,_ _Dar'tome. I'm heading for the secondary location, run interference where necessary.'_  
'Plan is in motion already, then. I'll inform the Batch. Good luck.'  
 _'Tell them to run a toxscreen ASAP,' Cody notes quickly. 'He's been given something nasty, not sure what.'_  
'Yessir. Dar'tome out.'

_Fives sways a little as Cody hauls him back upright, hands clutching at his head. 'Dizzy.'_   
_'We're going to get you out of this, kid,' Cody replies, walking them away from the sounds of vocoded speech and curious civilians, 'but I need you to listen carefully.'_   
_'... I trust you,' Fives says, softly._

_He sounds small. Afraid. It's not right. Cody needs to get him to safety, get him far away, protect him because Rex isn't here. He tucks Fives closer to his side as they hurry along the back streets, eyeing the faint tremble in his little brother's hands. 'Trooper, instructions; listen and repeat.'_

_Fives musters himself, ARC training kicking in even through whatever haze he's under, and Cody squeezes his shoulder in silent affirmation._

_'Here's what you need to do.'_

* * *

Cody blinks as he steps out of the barracks into the sunlight, hearing the chatter of Jesse and Kix at the base of the ramp, glancing back to check Rex is with him.

'They have a 100% success rate,' Kix is saying - of course he's done his research. Kix never goes into any engagement blind anymore, not since Umbara. He needs to know as much as he can, know how much to pack, how likely it is that he'll need more advanced equipment. How likely it will be that he'll need to call a medevac. How likely it will be that someone will die despite his efforts.

Jesse is frowning as the two of them fall into step behind him and Rex, tattoo crinkling with the movement (really, though, Cody often wonders if it was a dare.) 'It's not _that_ they win, it's _how_ they win that concerns me,' he replies, and Cody stifles a smirk. One would think a 501st trooper would revel in a little chaos. But, he supposes, Jesse has only just made ARC, and he's back to being unsure of himself like he was with every other promotion. Rex will kick him of those thoughts soon enough, Cody isn't too worried at this point.

The _Havoc Marauder_ makes one of its usual grand entrances - Tech is definitely showing off - and he can practically feel his three companions radiating confusion and curiosity. Cody himself is a little tense, not that he's willing to admit it. It's been over a year since he saw any of Clone Force 99 in person.

By a stunning coincidence, the last time was on Coruscant.

* * *

_In the morning, Cody wakes up to the reports, and goes to visit Rex, holding him as he sobs out his grief._

_It had been the worst part of the plan, knowing that there was no way to safely tell him the truth. The Captain knows nothing, and will remain far above suspicion throughout any investigation because he can't lie to save his life. No one will ask Cody - he was in the barracks all night, has the alibi to prove it. The Guard troopers never fired a shot, and won't know the pain of killing a_ vod _this time._

_Dogma reports the Bad Batch made it off-planet undetected._

_ARC-5555, originally of the 501st Legion, dies at the hands of an unknown sniper - hit with a blaster bolt that sends him tumbling over the edge of a flight tunnel into the deep dark of Coruscant's core._

_In a clearly unrelated event, the squad number of Clone Force 99 moves from four to five the very next day. They call their new brother Ghost, following their own unspoken naming convention. He grows into his role quickly, a quiet shadow watching their backs; and it's clearly a fitting name, as he proves himself a skilled assassin and infiltrator._

_In the privacy of his own head, Ghost thinks it's a fitting name for a dead man, too._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: one can't have any touching reunions when one is already dead.
> 
> Ghost keeps his mask on.


	2. under the mask

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mission on Anaxes brings the newest member of the Bad Batch back into contact with several old friends. 
> 
> It would be a touching reunion, if he wasn't technically dead.

Sometimes sorties were just downright exhausting, and running helter-skelter from a posse of horny Yalbecs had really taken every ounce of energy he'd had left after the rest of the four-day mission. Staring at the ceiling with bleary eyes, he tries his best to will the ache away from his sore feet. His left boot in particular needs a minor adjustment; something in the sole isn't right in the new pair. Squinting, he raises his head to glare at them sitting nonchalantly in the armour rack at the end of the wall, before the door swishes open and footsteps make their way quietly into the room.

'Ghost.'

He blinks, turning his head to find Tech next to his bunk, goggles off in the dim light, fatigues on and hair damp from the 'fresher. 'Hunter just told me Commander Cody's called us in for a mission on Anaxes. The 501st is there; I think we're working with Captain Rex.' The slicer shrugs awkwardly, knowing the news is mixed. 'Just... thought you should know.'

Tech means well, even if he's still not sure how best to broach the topic of Ghost's past when it comes up. He crawls up onto the bunk to flop half on top of his brother in silent apology, and Ghost curls a lazy arm around his shoulders. Hunter pokes his head in a few minutes later, eyes softening as he finds them dozing; Tech sits up, expecting a task, but the Sergeant waves it off. 'Get some sleep, you two. Anaxes is an active warzone, something tells me there won't be much time to rest once we're there. Wreck's already snoring, and I'm fully prepared to sedate Cross if he stays up more than two hours from now.'  
'You got it, Sarge,' Tech replies, jaw cracking as he yawns. 'Wake me when we need to drop out of hyperspace.'  
'About ten hours. You've got time.'  
'Good,' hums Tech, and curls up again, flinging an arm over his brother's waist and closing his eyes. 'Sleeping now.'

Ghost huffs in amusement, and reaches out to set an alarm. No point going into a new mission without fixing his boots first. He leaves the commlink next to the bunk and settles back down, Tech a comforting weight against his side as he tucks his little brother's head beneath his chin. He stares at the ceiling for a few more minutes, something in his gut coiling with nervous energy. In less than a day, he'll be face to face - sort of - with his Torrent _vode_ again; and they won't know who he is, because they think he's dead. 

Those thoughts can wait, though, until after he's rested. 'Drool on my favourite fatigues, _kih'vod'ika_ , and we will have _words_ ,' he mumbles, and Tech snorts out a drowsy laugh, squishing his face into Ghost's shoulder. 'G'night.'

* * *

_It's not the first time he's had to get used to a new team dynamic._

_That being said, he's certainly never had to do it in four distinct stages before, but no one ever said Fives (Ghost, he's Ghost now) was anything but determined. Rex might have said "stubborn," but Fives always knew what he really meant. If Torrent Company, ARC training, and serving beside General Skywalker had taught him anything, it was how to adapt to the situation. And this isn't his first podrace with a bunch of new younger brothers._

_The first week he's with the Bad Batch, he does nothing but survey. Still shaking off the last of the aftereffects of the drug and sorting through the clearest memories of the whole experience - there aren't many, and he keeps feeling like there's something important he doesn't know - he's mostly confined to his new bunk in the_ Havoc Marauder _, occasionally making his way out to the mess or to the main room when he's tired of being by himself. There's not much to do but spend his time figuring out what makes Clone Force 99 tick._

 _He thinks about how they're all younger than him, how they spend so much time away from other_ vode _, how they've spent so much effort learning how to function fluidly as a strike force that they've neglected a lot of other things. He watches - the interactions, the quirks, the looks in their eyes when they think no one's paying attention._

_And he learns._

_Once he's properly back on his feet, he begins._

_It starts with Hunter. This is simple, as the Sergeant helps him in his return to regular training and physical activity. It's strangely easy to get him to talk, which is good, because Ghost... doesn't feel like talking much. Hunter casually rambles on about the last mission, the newest improvisational tactic, Tech and Crosshair's latest disagreement on the planetary status of the Forest Moon of Endor, just to fill the silence as they work through stretches and cardio on a little grassland planet in the Mid Rim._

_It's his sensory issues, Ghost thinks, the sheer amount of outside information forcing its way into his head and rattling around. So he lets Hunter talk, gives him a space to fill the silence and externalise all the sensations, and watches the dark circles under his eyes and the faint lines of stress ease over the subsequent weeks._

_He smiles more often, too, and the others take note, resulting in several confused moments where Ghost has to smother a laugh._

_Wrecker is the easiest to puzzle out. He has a habit of half-reaching for people before drawing back and turning away before they see, and Ghost notices it often. Does he think the offer of affection will be rejected, or is it his own strength he's afraid of? Ghost has no idea, but this is something that's well within his abilities to solve; the 501st had been very physically affectionate, hugs and cuddle piles and hands on shoulders and arms and heads. Even the more uncertain shinies had been revelling in the close familial bonds by their second week with the Legion._

_He finds Wrecker sat on the cargo bay ramp as they finish up a retrieval job on Corellia, and rests his hands on top of the tank's head, hiding his amusement at the faint sound of surprise. Shifting around to set his chin on his interlaced fingers, he surveys the horizon, and smiles when a hesitant hand comes up to rest against his elbow._

_He stays there until they're ready to leave, and pats Wrecker's arm before wandering back inside._

_Crosshair is a difficult personality, all Crait-salt and sharp words. He's_ intimidated _, Ghost realises early on, the younger trooper wary of his former position and experience. But he has an old Captain Rex trick up his sleeve; one he's seen him use for angry shinies, troopers recovering from injuries, and even Fives himself one time, not long after Echo's death when he'd been pushing himself to his limits to fill in the empty space._

 _He waits until the others are away from the ship, a quick intel mission in the Core, and quietly makes his way to where Crosshair sits at the mess table cleaning his rifle. He putters about for a minute, making sure his brother is aware of his presence, before moving to stand behind his chair. The sniper freezes as Ghost's hands settle, one on his shoulder and one on the crown of his head, and he doesn't move a muscle as the former ARC speaks. 'I see you,_ vod _. You don't have to prove anything to me.'_

_It's the first full sentence he's spoken out loud in almost two days. The tension doesn't leave Crosshair's shoulders, but his words are less biting for a short while after that.  
_

_Tech is last, the only one to come to him for help, trembling in the aftermath of a panic attack one night when Ghost is on hyperspace watch and the others are asleep. He's been dealing with it for a while alone, he admits, but it takes so much out of him and the few times the others had been present they hadn't known what to do, had only made it worse as they left him alone anyway._

_He's seen how they're improving, how Hunter smiles more often, Wrecker is more comfortable asking for affection, Crosshair is less likely to say something intentionally harsh. Tech didn't know how to ask if Ghost had any idea how to deal with the anxiety, and was still somehow afraid he'd be turned away._

_Tech ends up crying himself to sleep, every emotion he's ever held back spilling out in a cathartic rush; and Ghost makes a silent promise to never turn him away, ever, holding the small, trembling form in his arms close.  
_

* * *

Kix is unashamed to admit that he's staring a little as Clone Force 99 disembarks, but in his defense, they really don't look like clones all that much.

There are five of them in total, all vastly different: their leader in front, shaggy hair, tattooed face - he thought Jesse was daring, _honestly_ \- and an oddly piercing gaze; a slicer on his right, who would look average with his curly black locks and brown eyes if not for the goggles and his small stature; a sniper on the other side, who is so pale Kix can only assume some form of albinism affects his mutated genes as well as a pencil-thin frame; a giant hulking mass of a man with a permanent grin etched on his face who can only be their tank; and the fifth...

Well. The fifth member of their squad looks strikingly normal, actually, outside from the messy fringe that flops over his right temple and the mask covering the lower part of his face. Does it cover something up? Scars, injuries, cybernetics? Looking at the others, Kix wouldn't put anything past the _kaminiise_ ; he'd only heard rumours about the experimental wing, but none of them were good.

Cody greets the leader of the group, introducing him as Sergeant Hunter. The man nods sharply, gesturing to his other team members as he directs his attention to Rex, something like respect flickering through his eyes - clearly the Commander has told him a few stories. 'You must be Captain Rex. This is Tech, Crosshair, Wrecker, and Ghost. Anyone else coming with?'

Rex tilts his head in acknowledgement. 'Kix, our company medic, and ARC Trooper Jesse.' The lartie lands next to them - good old Hotshot accurate as always - and the team makes their way onboard, volleying curious looks between them as they take off.

* * *

Ghost sticks to the back of the group as they move through introductions, trying to stay mostly unnoticed. He's getting damn good at it, of course, so when Hunter mentions him Jesse startles a little, as if only just realising they're a five-man squad. He allows himself an amused smirk under his mask. Good old Jesse. Reliable to a fault, but not always the most observant. He's made ARC, it seems; he definitely deserves it, the old confidence sitting well in the new gear. 

Ghost has missed him. He's missed all of them.

Kix is there, red medic's symbol still displayed proudly on pack and shoulder bells, permanent concern etched onto his face - and what on Concord Dawn has he done to his hair? Did the General's astromech finally snap and give him what for about his tattoo? If that's the case, Ghost hopes someone got it on record. That's definitely something he's curious to see, given all his favourite memories of R2-D2 are of the little blue droid giving different people what is clearly the droidspeak equivalent of sass.

Rex hasn't changed much at all, at first glance. Still the same blond hair shaved close, the same stern gaze and blue-painted armour. But there's a new tense angle to his shoulders when he thinks no-one's paying attention, and new, faint wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.

He looks tired on a closer inspection, worn down, and Ghost hates it. 

Hates that he's at least partially to blame.

Ghost frowns as his Crosshair-starting-something senses buzz, and rolls his eyes, leaning over to poke his brother in the arm. 'Cross. Be nice,' he says, lowly, and the sniper glances at him, startled. 'I didn't say anything.'  
'You were going to.'  
'He's got the karking Republic symbol tattooed on his _head_ ,' Crosshair hisses out, turning away from the others so he's huddled with Ghost and Tech up the back of the lartie. 'Was it a dare?'  
'Who knows? Hunter's got a skull tattooed on half his face. Not that weird.'

His brother shrugs, conceding the point, but still gives Jesse an odd look, chewing uncomfortably on his toothpick. He's becoming less antagonistic than he used to be, but he's still not good with new people, never has been. Ghost tugs him further into the little group he's formed with Tech, understanding. These are veteran, high-profile troopers they're working with; Cross is getting a little intimidated, and when he gets intimidated, he gets defensive in the most passive-aggressive way.

The Commander steps to the front, a holoprojector in his hand. 'Alright, listen up,' he says, voice shifting to officer mode, and Ghost's back instinctively straightens, Cody's eyes flicking to him in mixed concern and a spark of amusement. _Can take the trooper out of the infantry, but not the infantry out of the trooper, eh, kid?_ he seems to say.

_Very funny, Marshal._

* * *

_While Fives was the kind of trooper who tended to fall on his feet wherever he went, it was only natural that Cody would have concerns after sending him off with the Bad Batch. They did things very differently, even compared to more intense battle groups like the 501st, and the ARC would no doubt have trauma to work through after what he experienced on Coruscant; trauma he would be working through without any familiar_ vode _, without Rex or Kix or Jesse or any of the other troopers he was close to. Even Cody didn't work with Clone Force 99 all that often, and very rarely face-to-face, so eventually his minor misgivings had to be addressed._

 _'How's he settling into the squad?' he asks, after a quick mission brief three months in, and Hunter actually smiles._ 'Would be more accurate to say we've been the ones settling, Marshal. He's pretty much appointed himself the older brother, especially with Tech and Cross.'

 _Hunter looks younger, somehow, noticeable even over the holocomm. Less tired, less stressed. There's the sound of laughter somewhere out of frame, loud enough for the comm to pick up, and Hunter's smile turns into a wicked grin at whatever he sees._ 'Thanks for the data, Commander. We'll get right on that sabotage as soon as the tussle is over.'

_Cody finds the corners of his own mouth tilting up at the sounds of playful scuffling, Fives' familiar voice calling out commentary. 'Good luck,' he replies, and catches the beginning of a jubilant Mando'a warcry before the comm cuts off._

_The investigation on Coruscant was only turning up dead ends, the Information Wanted posters for the unknown sniper all but gone. Eventually, the Guard would consider it closed, and Cody is only waiting for Dogma to let him know._

_Then it would be safe to tell the others, and Fives could come home, at least for a little while._

* * *

It seems to be a basic retrieval job, but if there's one thing Ghost has learned from seven months with the Bad Batch, it's that missions with them rarely end up being basic.

If he's honest, he rather enjoys it.

It's odd, though; Anaxes is an active warzone, it's surprising they haven't been spotted -

The lartie rocks with the force of a force of a blast round, scraping the side of the cabin, and their pilot engages evasive manoeuvres. _'Incoming fire! Hold on, boys, I'll try and get us out of range!'_

The next shot hits the air intake for the engine, and the nose tilts, sending them heading towards the ground. Ghost braces a shoulder against Crosshair, grabs Tech by the collar, and pushes him towards Wrecker - the tank curls one arm around their smallest, most vulnerable teammate and reaches the other up to hold on to the ceiling bar even as he lets loose an adrenaline-fuelled laugh. 'We're goin' down!'

'Brace for impact!' yells Rex, and everyone does their best to hold tight as the lartie's wing shears off and they go careening into the crystalline surface of Anaxes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: Rex takes charge. Ghost knows something's up.
> 
> = Mando'a =  
> \- _kaminiise:_ Kaminoans  
> \- _kih'vod'ika:_ baby brother; a diminutive of _khi'vod,_ a troopers' term for a younger sibling that takes the role of a mentee/protege and can often be much like one's child in a way


	3. plan 82 and other oddities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Escaping the downed lartie and successfully taking out their pursuers, the team spends a tense night in the jungle of Anaxes. Jesse and Kix are curious about these new brothers, and with an objective still to complete and Cody out of commission, Rex takes charge.
> 
> Ghost knows something's up.

There's a moment of silence after they stop moving.

'Bad Batch,' Hunter spits out, hacking up dust and reaching up to pull the bay doors open. 'Sound off, now. Wrecker.'  
'Still kickin', boss!'  
'Tech.'  
Their youngest peeks over Wrecker's arm, wiping dust from the lenses of his goggles. 'I'm fine.'  
'Crosshair.'  
'Safe,' the sniper calls, picking himself up.  
'Ghost.'  
There's a split second of worry, before his brother's quiet voice breaks the silence, having slipped over to stand beside him. 'Here, Hunter.'  
'Check gear and any injuries. Everyone else still alive? Captain?'

Rex stumbles upright, looking around. 'I'm good. Jesse, Kix, you in one piece?'  
'We're alright, sir.'  
'Cody?' 

No answer.

'Commander?' A soft groan of pain reaches Hunter's ears, and he moves toward it, narrowly avoiding stepping on the Marshal where he's trapped under the opposite bay door, forced open in the crash. 'Fek. Everyone out, Wrecker's gonna have to lift this whole thing free.'

Ghost leaps through the upper door, leaning over to offer a hand and helping Jesse, Hunter, and Crosshair out in quick succession. Wrecker tosses Tech up to him just because he can, the slicer letting out an indignant yelp at the sudden movement but clinging onto Ghost nevertheless as it turns into a wheezing cough. His _ori'vod_ pats him on the back, dropping them both down to the ground and setting him on his feet while Jesse and Hunter help the others. 'You okay?'  
'I'll be fine, just - a lot of smoke.'

'How's he supposed to lift a whole lartie?' Kix questions, brow furrowed in concern and fingers tapping on his medical scanner, agitated. 'We don't have any time to waste if the Commander's injured.'  
Crosshair smirks despite the situation, never one to pass up an opportunity to prove someone wrong. 'Wait and watch, doc. Think you'll be surprised.'

Hunter, dropping down from the cockpit area, shakes his head at the loss of the pilot and gestures to the tank. 'All yours, Wreck. Get it off him - _carefully_.'  
'I got it, Sarge,' Wrecker replies, tapping his fists together and flipping his helmet onto his head before bracing himself against the fallen lartie, grunting with the effort as he slowly lifts the near side. Ghost and Hunter nip in quickly when it's far enough off the ground, carefully toting Cody to safety so Kix can scan him.

It's no surprise the device reveals internal injuries. The Marshal's out of commission, and they haven't even reached their target yet.

Never a simple mission these days.

* * *

Things are already going wrong.

 _Of course they are_ , Rex's traitorous mind supplies, _when was the last time any of your close_ vode _caught a break?_

He watches in agonising limbo as the Bad Batch free Cody from where he's trapped beneath what's left of their lartie, and for a terrifying minute his only coherent thought is _not again, please_. Not the brother who practically raised him, who trained with him over and over until he was sure Rex saw himself the way his big brother did - not as a defect but as a cadet with potential leaking out his ears. Cody is his _ori'vod_ , the closest thing he has ever and will ever have to a parent, and he can't lose him like this, not in front of his eyes by something so simple as a crashed transport.

Not so soon after Fives - and over a year might be stretching the definition of soon, but Rex's little brother did not deserve to go out hunted and alone and terrified; that night still haunts his dreams even now. But those thoughts aren't for the present moment, he can't afford to spin himself into that spiral on such a high-stakes mission.

With Cody down, he's in charge.

Okay. Okay. He can do this, he's done it a hundred times and more during the war. 'Kix, can he be moved?'  
'In an emergency, maybe, but I wouldn't recommend it. I can cut the pain, but he needs help as fast as possible.'  
'We all need help,' drawls Crosshair, and points in their direction of travel, where a battalion of B1s is making its way steadily toward the crash site. 'They know we're here.'

 _Kriff_.

* * *

_It's a rare rainless day on Kamino when CC-2224 meets a cadet who's recently named himself "Rex."_

_As a squad leader, '24 had known that there would be potential reshuffles in the command class, but he certainly hadn't been expecting CT cadets to be brought into the fold. They were a pair of batchmates, the two of them shifting a little nervously as they stood in the doorway to the CC barracks. Fox immediately picked out the other one, Keeli, as his new squadmate, and herded him away to meet the others in Squad Beviin._

_It wasn't hard to see how he'd known: the remaining cadet had bright blond hair, shaved close like many lighter-haired cadets had a tendency towards. It was a defense mechanism, an attempt to blend in better with their black-haired_ vode _. Even minor aesthetic mutations had you under closer watch, after all; where there was one "aberration," there was a greater chance of more, at least according to the_ kaminiise _._

_Rex, as he'd been introduced to them all at the door by Alpha-17, is watching him with a faint awe that the older boy really hopes he'll kick sooner rather than later. It wouldn't be any good for his command training if he stayed in starstruck-CT mode. 'Hi. If you're Rex, that means you're in my squad. I'm CC-2224.'_

_Brown and green eyes go very wide (oh, he's a definite mutant, and that means self-criticism by the bucketloads) and Rex's blond head tilts in confusion. 'You don't have a name?'_   
_'Not yet,' '24 replies, offering a smile. 'It's okay. I'm trying to find the best one.'_

_His vod looks thoughtful (and he's so serious, not even five standard yet and already determined that nothing is going to break him.) 'I'll help you, then. You'll need a good one if you're going to be a Marshal Commander.'_  
 _'What makes you think that?'_  
 _'I don't know. I just think you will be. You look right._ An kotep bal mirshe _.'_

Kotep _, huh?_

_Sounded alright to '24._

* * *

Hunter stares down the approaching droids, mentally tallying the odds. 

They'll be fine, but they need to move fast in order to make their way to safety before any reinforcements arrive. 'You and your boys sit tight and keep the Marshal safe, Captain,' he says, before Rex can speak, and grins, hoping it's disarming enough to prevent an argument. 'Let us take care of the clankers. Bad Batch!'

Four heads whip towards him, ready and waiting. 'Plan 82, "Shockwave." Wrecker, shield. Ghost, rearguard. Tech, get those droidpoppers ready, let's _go_.'

Wrecker laughs, hoisting a large piece of broken lartie - part of the door, by the looks. 'This do alright, Sarge?'  
'Perfect. Ghost, if anything gets past us, turn it to scrap,' he orders. His brother twirls one of his vibroblades like a Jedi with a lightsaber, mouth tilted in a smile behind his mask before he jams his helmet on, stance shifting. 'You got it,' he replies quietly, and the Sergeant's grin turns feral.  
'Go as crazy as you like. They won't know what hit 'em.'   
'Maybe we'll even let some through for you,' Crosshair says, and falls into formation beside Wrecker. 'Don't want big brother to miss out on the fun.'

Ghost huffs out a laugh, and the five of them spring into action.

* * *

Jesse grips his DC-17s in his hands as he keeps an eye out for anything coming their way. Though judging by the way Clone Force 99 is tearing though the battalion, he doesn't have anything to worry about. No matter; he can help here and now, anyway. 'Do they have 99 plans, do you think, or are they stuck on 98 and it just grinds on all their last nerves?'

It gets a smile out of Kix, at least, and a faintly-amused twitch from the Captain; he'll take it. Given the situation they're stuck in, Jesse wasn't expecting much. He'd just fallen back on a vague, somewhat stupid comment like Fives would have; always on purpose to make people laugh - because his little brother was smarter than he ever really got credit for - but they always did the trick.

Jesse wonders what Fives would have said, if he was here.

Probably something funnier. He'd always been good at that.

Turning back to survey the battlefield, he blinks in surprise at the sight of the commandos finishing off the last few clankers. He'd had reservations about working with the Bad Batch, to be sure. The things he'd heard about them - rumours, mostly, but they added up - hadn't given him the best view of their chances. Sure, like Kix had reminded him, they _did_ have a 100% success rate; but the trail of destruction they left behind them didn't bode well for any hangers-on, and he didn't want to go out to an accidental bomb blast so soon after managing to get through ARC training.

He'd done it for Fives and Echo, after all.

* * *

_It takes Jesse several minutes to process Rex's words after his Captain comes back to barracks shellshocked and trembling._

_Kix gently coaxes their brother to his bunk, tries to get him to at least rest - no doubt the Marshal will be able to get through to him in the morning when he inevitably finds out - and collapses onto his own when he steps back out, burying his face in his hands._

_Jesse stands in the middle of the bunkroom, staring at nothing as he tries to understand what's happened._

_Fives is dead._

_First Tup had died, then Fives had gone missing on Kamino, then had turned up on Coruscant and for some reason had been labelled a fugitive. Whatever it was hadn't been clear from what Rex had managed to get out, and it hadn't been made public knowledge, so it must have been big._ _Jesse doesn't care how big it was, though._

_Fives is dead._

_He was running, being chased by the Coruscant Guard, and then something happened that no one can explain and he was too close to the edge._

_Fives is_ dead _._

 _He jolts into gear and sprints out the door, ignoring the call of his name. His little brother is gone, one of his best friends, one of his_ vod'ike _. He needs to punch something. He needs to punch a_ lot _of somethings, and he doesn't care who sees._

_Kix finds him on the floor of the gym in the morning, staring at the ceiling with his chest heaving in soft, ragged sobs and his knuckles bruised and bleeding, and holds him for several long minutes before gathering him up, carting him gently to the medbay. 'I'm here, Jess. We'll be alright, I promise.'_   
_'Our little brother's dead.'_   
_The medic's expression shutters, the hand holding the box of bacta patches tense. 'Yeah. He is.'_   
_'Why didn't he call us for help? We would have been there.'_   
_'... I don't know, Jess. I wish I did.'_

* * *

Ghost stares out into the Anaxes night, listening to the sounds of the nocturnal beasts that don't dare approach the light of the heat lamp. Hunter crouches next to him, keeping him company while also scanning the treeline for potential threats. 

Behind them, the rest of the team is taking the chance to sit down; Rex is hovering worriedly over Cody, eyes far away as he tries to keep his _ori'vod_ conscious. Kix is keeping an eye on the two of them from next to the lamp, exchanging his usual banter with Jesse in between. The rest of the Batch are also nearby; Ghost can hear Cross and Wreck starting up one of their usual debates about who'll take out more clankers on this mission, and Tech's datapad is burbling away as he makes some of his endless notes on anything and everything.

It's deceptively calm, but there's something taut in the air, like a wiretrap that hasn't gone off yet.

'Credit for your thoughts?' Hunter murmurs, standing, and he hums, glancing back at the group.  
'Something's up with Rex. The way he's treating this mission is almost desperate; he's trying not to show it, but...'  
'But you know the signs,' the Sergeant finishes, nodding. 'Think it's something he should have told us?'  
'Don't know yet.'  
'Alright.' Hunter pats him on the shoulder before making his way back to the group, and Ghost returns to watching the stars.

Jesse's voice reaches him from the cluster of troopers, Kix replying with a strained laugh, and a trickle of guilt worms its way into his chest, adding to the weight. 

He's so close, but so _far_.

* * *

Hunter nudges Tech's shoulder in greeting as he sits down by the lamp, receiving a smile in return and a tilt of the head to where Ghost is still standing at the edge of the firelight. 'Is he alright?'  
'Just being thoughtful as usual. Go keep him company if you want, he won't mind.'  
Tech shrugs, stretching his hands out to warm them. 'He probably needs a little space. I'll stick with him later.'

ARC Trooper Jesse surveys their little group, chewing thoughtfully at a ration bar before addressing Hunter. 'So, I can see how these three are unique, but I'm not sure about you. Yours doesn't seem to be a physical mutation, anyway.'  
'Not that you can _see,'_ Tech pipes up, a veritable archive of information as always. 'Hunter was engineered with heightened senses - sight, smell, hearing, all of them. It gives him a more intuitive sense of his surroundings than even a CC-class trooper.'  
Hunter's mouth twitches, leaning back on his elbows. 'The downside, of course, is a lot of kriffin' headaches.'

Kix frowns, leaning forward. 'They didn't try and fix it?' he asks, and Hunter shakes his head, smile turning sour. 'Don't think they _cared_ quite enough to bother with a little thing like that.'

This seems to be food enough for thought for the medic, who moves away to check on the Marshal again, but Jesse remains, clearly still curious. 'Well, what about Ghost, then? He seems pretty... normal.'  
'Ghost,' drawls Crosshair from his perch on top of the nearby tree stump, 'is just very good at his job.' He levels a cool stare at the 501st trooper, and there's a distinct _"watch yourself"_ tone behind his otherwise throwaway statement. Hunter doesn't blame him. All four of them are rather protective of their big brother; it's only right, given that he's even more protective of them.

The ARC looks like he has more questions, but Rex makes his way into their cluster, taking a deep breath. 'Alright, listen up. We need to continue on with the mission.'  
'What about the Commander?' Hunter replies. 'He can't even move, let alone make it all the way there.'  
'I've called in a medevac. Kix is going to stay with him. We'll still have enough firepower to complete our task; I've got a plan to get us to that cyber centre.'

Hunter glances at Ghost, who has joined Crosshair and Wrecker next to the tree stump, and gets a brief nod. 'Alright, then. Let's get this done.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: _CT-1409... CT-1409..._
> 
> = Mando'a =  
> \- _an kotep bal mirshe:_ all bravery and brains (if the grammar is terrible, blame it on Rex being like... nine)  
> \- _vod'ike:_ plural of _vod'ika,_ used by troopers to delineate a close sibling  
> \- _ori'vod:_ for a trooper, an older sibling who is a mentor and surrogate parental figure


	4. voice from the past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The squad make their way to the cyber centre on Anaxes, and Rex isn't the only one left off-balance when the Techno Union's algorithm reveals its horrifying secret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, those of you who have stuck around! It's back!
> 
> Sorry this took so long, the last six months were a real struggle mentally and it was hard to write pretty much anything on top of trying to finish my degree. But! No longer! I present the next chapter, and things are really starting to ramp up as we reach the end of episode one!

They set off once the medevac has confirmed an ETA, leaving Kix and Cody behind as they trek through the jungle toward their goal. Rex leads the way, checking behind him every so often to make sure they're all still together; Jesse knows he's rattled after the mission went sideways so quickly, so he keeps close to his Captain's back, letting the Bad Batch trail after him.

He must admit, with what he'd heard he'd expected more of a clash between their two groups, but the five of them had seemed... well. Not terrible. Granted, the skinny one had looked at him a little funny on the lartie, but his teammate had pulled him into a conversation, maybe as a distraction tactic; the guy certainly seemed like he was used to getting in people's faces with that scowl. The squad's been almost level-headed, really, if not for their borderline insane battle tactics. Rushing a whole company of droids head-on with only five troopers? Crazy.

Still impressive, though.

Of course, there were still weird things about them besides the obvious. Jesse will be the first to admit he isn't the most observant, but he's pretty sure most squad leaders don't look to another squadmate for... permission? Reassurance? Even though Hunter is obviously supposed to be in charge of Clone Force 99, there's still a note of something surpassing regular respect in the way he interacts with Ghost. Not quite _deference_ as such, but the look of a younger trooper talking to one a generation or two above. Ghost certainly seems to be the oldest, at least personality-wise; the way he behaves around the rest of the squad practically bleeds a level of protectiveness Jesse is used to seeing in Rex.

He wonders what the story is there.

* * *

_It occurs to Fives early on that he is, in fact, the oldest._

_After his initial attempts at carving out a space for himself and his return to actual missions working alongside his new squad, he starts to see things that had gone unnoticed during his initial round of watching and learning. Most of the useful information he gathers comes from Tech, during his regular visits to the medbay to check for potential side effects of the still-unknown drug and to change the bacta strip on his skin graft._

_(It's unsettling, not seeing his tattoo when he looks in the 'fresher mirror. He already feels like someone else.)_

_From Tech, he had learned that the Bad Batch had only been field active for a year or so - which, he had assumed, meant that none of them should be any older than twelve standard. Unless, of course, the case was that they'd been sent out late, which given their unique situation was a distinct possibility._

_(The case had turned out to be quite the opposite, and the anger still simmers in his gut when he thinks of how the_ kaminiise _told Cody such blatant lies.)_

_Fives had turned fourteen a week before Ringo Vinda; Domino Squad had been part of a group of batches sent out a year earlier than usual. It's enough to make it feel strange. In Torrent - at least in the group in which he'd spent pretty much all of his time with the 501st - he had been the youngest, the little brother, despite his early promotion to ARC. Almost two years younger than the Kix-Jesse-Hardcase trio of batchmates, four years younger than Rex, and already the younger of the twins, his place in the dynamic had been firmly entrenched from the beginning and stayed that way even after losing Echo and Hardcase._

_Now, he has four younger brothers all struggling with different levels of deep and ingrained trauma, and he's not sure how he can handle it all by himself._

_Understanding dawns, over time, that he was never really doing it alone._

* * *

Tech sticks close to his oldest brother's side as they traverse the jungle, the two of them watching the peripherals of the squad as Crosshair and Wrecker bring up the rear. Old habits die hard even with the addition of two others, and as the trees become denser and the undergrowth tall, Cross slips up to cover his other side. 'I hate jungle planets. Feel like I'm sweating even with the cooling systems.'

The slicer hums in agreement, eyes darting toward a rustling in the undergrowth before it moves away again; probably a wild animal deciding they won't be easy pickings after all. 'I forgot to ask before we landed, but how's your pain level today?'  
'Manageable,' Crosshair replies. 'Better than yesterday evening, anyway. I'll be alright.' 

Tech nods in assent, returning his attention to the path, and blinks in surprise as Hunter signals a stop. He tries to peer around ARC Trooper Jesse, tapping comms to talk to the Sergeant. 'I thought we still had something of a walk. Why have we stopped?'  
'Coming up on something. Not our primary target; looks like an outpost.' Hunter turns to the Captain, curious. 'Should we take it?'

Rex hums in thought, surveying the area. 'Probably easier than going around.' Drawing his blasters, he turns, a strangely familiar and mischievous tilt to his head. ‘I thought we might take a crack at your strategy and rush them head-on,’ he continues, and Hunter huffs out a laugh. ‘I like your style, Captain. Let’s go.’

Emptying out the outpost is almost embarrassingly easy. The B1s are completely unprepared for a direct attack and crumple like so many flimsi pages before the sudden onslaught, leaving the vantage point from the tower theirs for the taking. Tech immediately makes his way to the terminals, and the rest of them survey the potential paths available, Hunter locking in on a set of speeder bikes stationed outside. There’s more than enough for half a squad, so himself, Hunter, and Ghost will make their way to the back of the cyber centre while Crosshair covers from the cliff just outside the outpost and the remaining three distract the droids at the front door.

It’s a solid plan, but Ghost still shifts uneasily as he stares out towards their goal, so Tech won’t take anything for granted just yet.

‘Seems as though the centre itself has minimal guards; about thirty droids,’ he notes. ‘But I’m picking up signals from a new platoon that’s headed our way.’  
Hunter grins, leaning over to take a look at the screen. ‘They’ve seen our handiwork back at the crash site, then.’  
‘Keep an eye on them,’ replies Rex, moving back to the central elevator. ‘I want to know when they reach this outpost.’  
‘You got it, Captain.’

They make their way back outside, and split up to carry out their plan. Tech clambers onto a bike and flicks the ignition, planning the route to the cyber centre on his visor as Hunter and Rex go over potential signals one last time.

‘Don’t crash,’ Crosshair calls, smirking, and disappears into the jungle as they set off.

* * *

Wrecker follows behind the two 501st troopers as they pick through the underbrush, trying his best to follow in their footsteps and avoid any loud branches or loose rocks. 

He's not exactly built for stealth - quite literally, as the Experimental branch had designed him and his batchmates to be an exceptional form of tank soldier. He'd been the only one to leave, as far as he knows, but they'd told him they were proud before the _kamiinise_ led him away to meet his new squad.

He wonders where they are now. The absent thought has him nearly trip over one of the chunks of crystal that jut from Anaxes' surface at intervals, and he flails a little to regain his balance. The others look at him a little strangely, but he just shrugs and continues on, letting them quietly take out the perimeter guards and choose a good spot for the three of them to wait. 'Is everyone in position?' Captain Rex questions, Hunter and Crosshair affirming they've taken their place.

 _'Captain,'_ Tech's voice filters through, _'you wanted to know when the Separatist forces breached the outpost?'_

Wrecker grins under his helmet, hefting his blaster into position. Here comes the fun part.

_'Well, they're getting there just about now.'_

* * *

Ghost slides down the hill after Hunter when the battle for the front door starts, helping watch Tech's back as he slices through security at the rear entrance. 'Better make it quick, _khi'vod_. We're on a timer here.'  
'I have it,' his brother replies, a grin in his voice as the doors swish open and Hunter lands a direct hit on the B1 inside.

Tearing through the building, it takes no time at all to reach the command centre - three tactical droids, really? - and wipe out the guards. Hunter hops off the holotable, yanking his vibroblade out from a destroyed droid head in a mess of sparks, and turns back to them. 'Tech, get started on hacking this place open. Ghost, you stay here and keep him safe, just in case. I'll go help the others.'

He's out the door, and Ghost sets himself up beside it, crouched behind the wall. 'What's it look like?'  
'It shouldn't take me long,' Tech replies absently, tapping away. He's humming a nonsense tune as he works, and Ghost lets out a fond huff of amusement at the sound. 'Picking up my habits now, little brother?' he asks, and Tech turns to look at him, blinking in confusion. 'What?'  
'Never mind.'

He tenses as footsteps make their way down the hall toward them, but it's just Rex who enters the room, making a beeline for Tech. 'Anything?'  
'I'm in. What am I looking for?' the slicer questions, and Rex removes a datacard from his belt, handing it over. 'Here's the algorithm we found. You're looking for a program using this sequence. Can you do it?'

Ghost breaks out into laughter the same time as Tech does, and Rex startles, whipping around to lock onto his position. '"Can he do it," really. Of course he can, kid's smarter than all of us combined.'  
'Where the hell did you come from, trooper?'  
He can't help but frown above his mask. _Getting sloppy, Rex._ 'I've been behind the door this whole time, Captain,' he replies quietly, and is saved from answering more questions as Tech makes a noise of triumph. 'Got it!'

The holotable activates, showing an arrangement of abstract figures Ghost vaguely recognises as visualisations for a battle plan, like the ones Rex and -

He shoves the thought away, and returns to watching the door.

'This is... strange,' Tech notes abruptly, confusion bleeding into his voice. 'It's - it's not a program. It's a live signal from another planet. Skako Minor.'  
'A live signal?' Rex echoes, sounding uncertain, and Tech nods, returning to the control pad. 'This is audible.'  
'Patch me in. I want to hear it.'

The sound that emerges is distorted, full of odd interference and volume fluctuations, but there's a strangely familiar cadence to it, and Tech voices the thoughts Ghost doesn't say aloud. 'It... it sounds almost... human,' he murmurs. 

Rex is silent for a long second, before his voice breaks the quiet, full of some kind of impossible hope. 'It can't be.' The cyber centre shakes with the force of a detonation, and the Captain rounds on Tech, voice sounding more desperate than Ghost ever remembers it. 'Tech. Find out who's sending that signal. _Ask who that is.'_

The little slicer jumps into action, and slowly the distortion morphs into recognisable words, repeating over and over again though a haze of digitised sound.

**CT-1409. CT-1409.**

And suddenly Ghost can't breathe.

* * *

Hunter makes his way to the command centre as the three troopers remaining at the door retreat, finding Tech and Captain Rex staring silently at the holotable and Ghost standing in the corner, strangely still. 'We're gone. _Now_ , troopers!'

Tech jolts into action, packing away his datapad and grabbing Ghost's hand to tug him along toward the exit. Rex doesn't move, wide-eyed as a digitised voice echoes around the room, and Hunter reaches out to shake his shoulder. 'Captain. We have to retreat. Crosshair's got us a transport.'

Rex shakes himself at the words, jamming his helmet back onto his head and sprinting out the door after the others. Hunter's ears twitch at the voice, and a shudder runs down his back at how mechanical it sounds before he shuts down the holotable and follows his squad out.

Crosshair, thankfully, has an impeccable sense of timing as always, and lands his stolen transport almost right on top of them as they make their way out the rear entrance. 'Miss me?'  
'Sure, you dramatic bastard,' Hunter replies, rolling his eyes at his brother under his helmet before jumping in the copilot seat, emptying the rest of his blaster's charge into the oncoming droids. 

The hovercar takes off over the treetops, and slowly, gradually, the battle tension eases out of them, everyone finding a free seat for the journey back. There's a long silence, nothing but the wind rushing by and the hum of the engines, before Tech speaks up. 'That number, Captain... what did it mean?'

Hunter doesn't know why he asks; maybe just to keep up the charade they've been playing since they arrived. They already know who it is. 

'CT-1409,' Captain Rex replies, seeming more steady than he was at the beginning of their mission, more purposeful. 'That was Echo's number. He's _alive_.'

Out of sight of the Captain and the ARC trooper, Hunter hears the shift of Wrecker slipping a careful arm around Ghost's shoulders, the telltale hitch of breath muffled by their ori'vod's bucket.

This mission just became a whole new kind of clusterkark.

* * *

_The aftermath of the explosion scatters blinding white patches behind his eyelids, makes his ears ring with the sound of the blast through Echo's comm -_

_Echo. Where's Echo?_

_Where's his brother?_

_Rex is shouting for him to get up, the cannons are still active, they have to run -_

_Echo._

_He needs to find Echo._

_He stumbles to his feet, and something bumps against one as he steps forward._

_Echo's helmet, blue stripes nearly invisible underneath the char and ash._

_Echo._

_EchoEchoEchoEchoEcho -_

_He thinks he screams, and Rex pulls him away as the cannons swing around again._

_Fives doesn't remember the rest of the mission._

_He only remembers Echo, and hoping it was no more than a corpse that they left behind._

_That_ he _left behind._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: Ghost deals with old memories, and the Generals have entered the building.


End file.
